1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for electrostatic neutralization, and more particularly, to an electrostatic neutralizer and method for neutralizing a charged object that has a distance within a relatively wide range from an ion generating source.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electrostatic neutralizing ionizers that generate positive and negative ions by corona discharge are known in the art. These conventional ionizers typically limit the distance an object targeted for neutralization may be positioned away from an area from which ions are generated by the corona discharge. In addition, power supplies that generate alternating and relatively high voltages, e.g., (+/−) 15 kV, are typically used in conventional ionizers to maximize the number of negative and positive ions that are generated over a given time period. In other implementations, a gas, such as air or nitrogen, is also used to dispense the generated ions towards the charged object. Using high voltages, gas, or both increases the cost to produce and use such conventional ionizers. Generating an alternating high voltage that is sufficient to generate a relatively large number of negative and positive ions requires a more expensive power supply and results in the power supply having a size and weight that are generally difficult to reduce. Using gas also adds expense because in certain environments the gas must be relatively free of unwanted particles to avoid contaminating the ionizing electrode and the object targeted for neutralization. Moreover, using a gas other than air also adds the further expense of acquiring the gas. Consequently, there is a need for an improved electrostatic neutralizer and method for neutralizing a charged object having a distance within a relatively wide range, such as from 1 to 100 inches, from an ion generating source.